


The Paperwork

by libraralien



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 11:08:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11850318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/libraralien/pseuds/libraralien
Summary: The continuing adventures of the USS Enterprise take their toll on their long-suffering Chief Engineer and Chief Medical Officer. At least they have each other.





	The Paperwork

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PeachesandBones](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeachesandBones/gifts).



"You know," Bones said, looking up from one of the eight PADDs on his desk in front of him, "If there's one thing the rest of the crew just doesn't understand, it's how much goddam paperwork their hijinks cause us."

Scotty paused for a moment. They had been sitting in sickbay working on their respective backlogs late into the night, occasionally chatting about this or that, and Scotty seemed to be considering whether or not he wanted to indulge McCoy's complaining, knowing that it would not end with a single statement of displeasure.

"Aye," he agreed, not looking up from his similar pile of PADDs, "They think we all have a jolly adventure and then call it a day."

"You and I, we keep this ship and it's crew members, respectively, taped up long enough to make it to the next disaster. We are constantly scrambling to put out fires-

"None of which we made, mind you," Scotty interrupted.

"Exactly, let alone have time for keeping records," he let out a sigh, "So now here we are cooped up on the ship during goddamn shore leave, since the Starfleet brass are on our cases for not staying up to date on our paperwork."

Scotty sighed. On one hand, he would love to kick back and read some of his technical journals on his break, but on the other hand, he knew the ship front to back, so the write ups weren't hard, certainly. He didn't chafe at the paperwork the same way Bones did, but like Bones, he was ornery by nature and enjoyed a good whinge. He knew it wasn't actually the paperwork that bothered McCoy, but the revisiting of the danger: the reminder of how often the captain put them in danger, how risky everything could be out here in the unknown. 

McCoy often repeated that he was a doctor, dammit, but it really was true, he was a doctor not just as a profession, but it was essential to who he was. And as such, he was truly upset at the sustained level of trauma, injury, and illnesses that affected the Enterprise's crew-members. He also, Scotty knew, never really adjusted to being in space. This was one of the key differences between them. Scotty had taken to space travel like a fish to water, but McCoy was never truly happy or comfortable as he was when his feet were planted on Earth.

"It's all well-and-good for the captain to just turn a Captain's Log," Scotty said, "He's the captain; he turns a general overview of events, and then carries on. Just as well, not the finest eye for detail, that one."

In their back and forth, they would complain about the captain, but the truth was Kirk was a good friend to both of them, and a fine captain. He was as married to the ship as Scotty was, and he valued Bones advice and friendship. But he was rash, impulsive at times. It was part of what made him great, in some ways. But damn if there weren't consequences. And damn if it didn't create piles of work for Scotty and Bones.

"Did you know, our last little jaunt to a previously unvisited planet resulted in one spinal injury, three cases of severe burns, two broken arms, and a moderate concussion," McCoy said, reading out an incident report, "And that's just the injuries! Everybody who even goes on a previously unvisited planet has to have that added to their record, as well as be monitored for xenopathogens for at least the next three months! Not to mention that pretty much the entire damn Operations division is in grief counseling these days." 

"Here," Scotty pushed one PADD across the table to McCoy, "This one needs information from the both of us. It's about the incident a couple a' weeks ago when I had to bypass three levels of safeties to emergency vent the warp core. I entered everything about risks and damages to the core, but you have to write up the risks and injuries to the crew."

"Goddamnit," Bones said, snatching it up, "Three members of engineering were pretty much glowing green for days after that. Any more of yours that need my input?"

"No, no, I think it's just the one. I'm onto writing up what exactly I did to get the transporters to lock onto the captain from a record distance," he chuckled, "Problem with being a miracle worker, you see, is people want to know how you did it. I suppose it's hardly useful if it can't be repeated."

"Useful if it saves our damn skins even once," Bones grumbled.

"Yes, but not very scientific, wouldn't you say, doctor?"

McCoy gave him a quick glare over a PADD, "You're starting to sound like that pointy-eared bastard."

Scotty clapped one hand over his heart dramatically, as if he was extremely wounded by this suggestion, which caused McCoy to crack a smile, his first in hours.

"Was that a smile? You must really be exhausted. Why not head to bed?" Scotty asked.

Bones waved one hand dismissively, "I will soon, you go on, I'm sure you are tired too," he said.

Scotty stood up from his chair and stretched, "A pity. Going to bed alone, on the first night of shore leave. I'm probably the only crewmember not spending the night with somebody tonight."

"And they are all going to be meekly walking into a sickbay in a few days asking if there is anything that can be transmitted sexually between humans and Napeans, or some such."

Scotty sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with McCoy when he had decided he was going to be wilful about something. He headed back to his quarters and got ready for bed. His relationship with McCoy was so strange (he still thought of him as McCoy or Bones, never Leonard). They had fallen into bed one evening after the two of them had gotten rather competitive in their drinking of a bottle of bourbon McCoy's daughter had sent him for his birthday. McCoy had been melancholy about growing older, and having a birthday so far from his daughter, from earth. Kirk had been busy with some official duty or another, so Scotty had agreed to drink with him so he wouldn't drink alone and get even more morose. Well, that and it had been really good bourbon, though it was no Scotch. The praises of each had been argued by the two of them that night. Scotty had invited McCoy back to his quarters to investigate his personal Scotch, which they proceeded to, and after that, well, one thing had led to another. 

Scotty had assumed it was a one time thing. He had never asked about it, but he knew McCoy had been married before, and he still had little idea of how McCoy felt about it, so he felt it was likely McCoy was not looking for a relationship. And in some ways he wasn't. After they had ended up in bed together for a fifteenth or so time, Scotty had asked if they were dating.

"Oh, men like us don't date," McCoy had scoffed.

"And what kind of men are we, exactly?" Scotty had asked.

"Middle-aged, overworked curmudgeons"

"Well if we aren't dating, then what would you call this?" Scotty had asked, gesturing vaguely at their nude bodies lying next to each other in bed.

McCoy had shrugged, "We have an understanding."  
"An understanding," Scotty repeated.

"Exactly. I'm just not sure if it's really possible for somebody like me to fall in love this far out in space," he said, almost apologetically.

Scotty had understood what he meant, and so he figured they would have an understanding until they didn't. And that was three years ago now.

He was so tired he fell asleep nearly as soon as he laid down. Some time later (minutes? hours?) he was awoken by the sound of the ship computer alerting him that Chief Medical Officer McCoy had entered his quarters. He smiled to himself in the dark as Bones crept around, trying to get ready for bed as quietly as possible, before climbing slightly apologetically into bed next to him. Scotty wondered if they fuck or not, briefly, before McCoy reached his arms around Scotty and pulled him into a deep kiss, answering the question for him.

It was unremarkable, not for lack of pleasantness, but only because they had done it so often, and for a couple years now, it simply faded into all the other times they had. They were both exhausted that neither had the energy to make it extraordinary, which suited them both just fine. The familiarity of hands and mouths and actions is its own kind of special, McCoy thought. 

He may not playboy of the galaxy like the captain was, he thought as he finally began to slip off to sleep, or at least, like everybody assumed the captain was (not that he hadn't done just fine for himself in his younger years; there had been this Trill gymnast one time, in Georgia…), nor did he have some exotic heat cycle like Spock (and thank God for that), but he did have something familiar, something comfortable. There was something to be said for that this far from home.


End file.
